Sunday, July 6, 2008

Which Mr Razak ?.... Najib Razak or Razak Baginda ?

Witness told to read her SMS threat aloud in court

29 June 2007

Burmaa Oyunchimeg sent a threatening SMS to Abdul Razak two days after her cousin went missing Prosecution witness Burmaa Oyunchimeg sent a threatening SMS to Abdul Razak Baginda's private eye P. Balasubramaniam two days after her cousin Altantuya Shaariibuu went missing last October.

First, he asked her to confirm whether she had sent the SMS in question to Mr Balasubramaniam. Mr Wong then repeatedly asked her to read the message aloud, reminding her to be serious as she was under oath. Ms Burmaa then did as she was instructed and read the following words verbatim, in a voice barely above a whisper:

"You sick f*****s, listen to me carefull (sic)... I'm gonna call his wife...already report to Mongolian Consulate in Malay... you chicken s***s are in big problem... i'll do my best i promise."

Mongolian woman sent threatening notes to Abdul Razak Murdered Mongolian interpreter Altantuya Shaariibuu sent five threatening notes to her former lover Abdul Razak Baginda just days before she was killed.

Ms Altantuya had apparently left the notes at Abdul Razak's office last October, when she was in Malaysia to hound him.

According to Ms Burmaa, who also answers to the name Amy, the couple used to be "so close, like boyfriend and girlfriend".

She recalled seeing Abdul Razak and Ms Altantuya together three times – in Hong Kong, Shanghai and Singapore.

Ms Burmaa also said she knew Abdul Razak had sent Ms Altantuya money in Mongolia, as the analyst had called her once in 2005, asking her to tell Ms

Altantuya he had sent the money via Western Union.

Ms Burmaa said Abdul Razak broke it off via SMS after about eight months. But he SMSed Ms Burmaa, not Ms Altantuya.

Ms Burmaa recalled the SMS went like so: "Amy, can you let Altantuya know I don't want to see her again."

She told her cousin about it later in Mongolia, and the latter replied it was only a small misunderstanding and she would sort it out with him.

According to Ms Burmaa, Ms Altantuya flew to Kuala Lumpur in August last year, hoping to meet Abdul Razak, but she did not get to do so. Still, she told Ms Burmaa her problems had been sorted out.

She then went to Malaysia again in October last year. She went missing and her bone fragments were found a month later.

Note #4: "1 account/1 check and goes. And you happy ok. And don't try to cheat me, your friends your lawyer can't help you. Today is Monday, if now you send, everything will be OK. And by the way, how feel? Hot, having temperature? Not yet?"

Note #5: "How are you Mr Razak! My father sent me. Please contact me by tomorrow morning this number 017–3922411. (daughter) I have something, it's asap. My father asked me for ..."

Excerpts from Note #6: "I'm nice person, I can't hurt someone, But Mr A. Razak Baginda is powerfull person, he have money, he have connection in police, in government. He trying to scare me, trying to kill me."

"I have some problem now time, Mr Razak Baginda promised to help me when I was Mongolia. That's the why I came to see him and for help. But he trying to kill me."

"Yes, maybe I did mistake to bother him to blackmail him, but if he didn'tpromise to me I would never come from far away to Malaysia."

"Only reason I'm here is I asking help from Mr Razak. I get p.I., private invistogether Mr Hoh. But today ... he told he told that they have my letter's so they kill me and says she suicide."

Abdul Razak trial: Cop's ex-girlfriend testifies

30 June 2007

With Lance Cpl Rohaniza, the seventh witness taking the stand, the trial has moved into a new phase as she was among the last few people to have seen Ms Altantuya alive.

The witness, policeman Azilah Hadri's ex-girlfriend, was among the earlier suspects in the investigation and was remanded for 14 days before she was released without charges being filed against her.

Lance Cpl Rohaniza said she and Azilah had gone to Abdul Razak's house in Damansara Heights, Kuala Lumpur, on the night of Oct 19 last year after Azilah received a call on his mobile phone.

Lance Corporal Rohaniza Roslan, 29, is mobbed by the press at the trial.

She also told the court that when they drove up to Abdul Razak's house, she saw Ms Altantuya with Abdul Razak's private investigator, Mr Balasubramaniam Perumal.

She said Azilah spoke to Ms Altantuya and the investigator, and answered another call on his mobile phone.

Ms Altantuya then entered their car voluntarily after being told that they were police officers. At that time, Lance Cpl Rohaniza added, she was already off duty.

As Azilah drove away from Abdul Razak's house with Ms Altantuya in the car, he advised the Mongolian not to make a scene outside the political analyst's family as he had a family.

Azilah also asked her to resolve her quarrel with Abdul Razak at the latter's office.

"She said okay," said Lance Cpl Rohaniza.

Mongolian case witness sparks uproar in court

Ms Burmaa Oyunchimeg, 26,she had seen a photograph of her cousin, interpreter Altantuya Shaariibuu, with her then lover Abdul Razak Baginda, and other people including one "Najib Razak". Ms Burmaa did not, however, say if "Najib Razak" was Deputy Prime Minister Najib Razak.

Still, the mere mention of the name "Najib Razak" drew a loud "oooh" from the packed gallery.

Abdul Razak, a prominent political analyst who is accused of ordering the killing of Ms Altantuya, is a close associate of Datuk Seri Najib.

They went everywhere in threes, always surrounded by Malaysian police who had no qualms pushing people away from them, and always decked out in hats and over-sized sunglasses.

In her court testimony, Ms Burmaa Oyunchimeg, cousin of Altantuya, said she owned a salon in Mongolia and had graduated with a degree in marketing and management from the University of Mongolia. She said she was studying English in Hong Kong at the time when Ms Altantuya was having an affair with Abdul Razak, a 47-year-old prominent political analyst in Malaysia.

Ms Burmaa said she was very close to Ms Altantuya, who confided in her about her relationship with Abdul Razak. She said she hung out a lot with her late cousin in Mongolia, and after she moved to Hong Kong, Ms Altantuya would visit her regularly. It was in Hong Kong where Ms Burmaa was first introduced by Ms Altantuya to Abdul Razak at the end of 2004. Subsequently, she flew from Hong Kong to meet them in Shanghai and Singapore a few months later. She said Abdul Razak often called her mobile phone from Malaysia or abroad to speak to Ms Altantuya if she was in Hong Kong. Ms Burmaa also testified that sometime last year, he sent her a text message asking her to tell Ms Altantuya that he did not want to see her again. Her cousin brushed it off as a small misunderstanding. Ms Altantuya flew to Malaysia in August last year to sort it out but did not meet Abdul Razak. She went again in October, and was killed that month.

Ms Namiraa Gerelmaa, a housewife who just had a baby, she said her mother had paid for her trip to Malaysia to find out about studying English. She said she was close to Ms Altantuya, but appeared to know little about her relationship with Abdul Razak. On the night that Ms Altantuya disappeared, she said her cousin went to Abdul Razak’s house convinced that he would see her.

Ms Uuriintuya Gal-Orchir, who was four months pregnant during the October visit also claimed not to know much. She said she knew Ms Altantuya through her sister, who was the babysitter for the late interpreter’s two children. She said she went to Malaysia on holiday as she had never been out of Mongolia before and was mostly interested in sight-seeing and shopping.

Accused cop’s ‘confession’ to be given to court today

5 July 2007

One of the policemen accused of killing Mongolian interpreter Altantuya Shaariibuu may have confessed to the crime, a Malaysian court heard yesterday.

Right at the end of the hearing, lead prosecutor Tun Majid Tun Hamzah told the court that he would tender a "confession" from Sirul Azhar Umar today.

The confession was allegedly given to Assistant Commissioner Mastor Mohd Ariff, Sirul’s superior at the elite forces unit.

It was a rather tame ending to a potentially exciting moment in the 13th day of the sensational murder trial, as he asked for the case to be adjourned until today.

Mr Mastor, the prosecution’s 11th witness, had told the court earlier that he had gone to Islamabad on Nov 5 last year to escort Sirul back to Malaysia.

Sirul was on duty as a bodyguard for Prime Minister Abdullah Badawi, who was on an official visit to Pakistan.

Mr Mastor, the No.2 in the Special Action Forces, had gone there on orders from top federal police officers in Bukit Aman.

"I told him that his ex-wife had lodged a police report against him, and I needed to bring him back to protect the good name of the force," he said.

Five hours later, they were on board a flight from Islamabad to Kuala Lumpur, with a stopover in Bangkok.

He said Sirul had told him that he did not believe his story about his former wife lodging a report against him.

Mr Mastor said he told Sirul he would tell him the truth on the flight from Bangkok to Kuala Lumpur.

Just as he was about to tell the court what the "real story" was, Mr Tun Majid asked for an adjournment.

He said he would offer the court a "confession" made by Sirul to Mr Mastor today.

He also said the prosecution would conduct a proceeding to determine whether the confession was voluntarily made, and whether it was admissible as evidence.

Mr Mastor will take the stand again today.

Altantuya’s last words before she was killed

The following are excerpts of a police report lodged by Ms Altantuya Shaariibuu in the afternoon of Oct 19 last year, hours before she was whisked away in a car and killed.

"I came from Mongolia to see my boyfriend. The I am here is want to see my boyfriend. To see your lover is nothing criminal right?

"He got connection in government. (Who ? Najib ?) He got connection in police and scaring me for 2 1/2 years I been his lover he promised so that’s the why I came here...

"But now he even trying to sent me awya with his friends and trying to scare me and kill me.

"I want to go back safely...

"If something happend to me please check that person."

‘Remaining Explosive Can Be Removed From Store’

17 June 2008

The High Court here heard today that the remaining explosive after its use by Special Action Unit (UTK) personnel does not have to be recorded and can be taken out of the store.

The bones fragments of murdered Mongolian model, Altantuya Shaariibuu. The court heard today that the explosives taken from the store of the Special Action Unit, does not have to be recorded or put back.

L/Cpl Johari Abdul, 41, who had served at the UTK store before his transfer to Commercial Crime Investigation Department at Bukit Aman, said this had been the practice at the UTK.

The 83rd prosecution witness in the murder of Mongolian Altantuya Shaariibuu also said he did not make any record or sign any form before handing over two explosive-related materials – detonator electric and claymoremine wire – to Serious Crime Investigation Division officer C/Insp Koh Fei Cheow.

He said he also did not make any record when handing over plastic explosives,cutting linear charge and detonator cord to UTK deputy commander Mastor Mohd Ariff.

When suggested by Deputy Public Prosecutor Manoj Kurup during examination-in-chief that he did not make the records because he knew the items were to be used for investigation purposes, he said: “Yes, because they were the excess and only needed as samples.”

Johari also said he and the supervisory officer had the power to issue the remaining explosive.

Meanwhile, the trial-within-a-trial with regard to Koh’s evidence that C/Insp Azilah Hadri had shown the place where Altantuya had been shot and blown up, was postponed to Monday.

Justice Datuk Mohd Zaki Md Yasin deferred the proceedings after Deputy Public Prosecutor Tun Abdul Majid Tun Hamzah said two witnesses were unable to come to the court today.

Azilah, 32, and Cpl Sirul Azhar Umar, 36, both UTK operatives are charged with murdering Altantuya, 28, at a secondary jungle in Bukit Raja in October 2006.

Political analyst Abdul Razak Abdullah Baginda, 48, is alleged to have abetted them.